The trailhead of the Nickel Plate Trail at 32nd Street and Park Road. The trail, the first phase of a proposed city-wide trail system, is set for its grand opening next week. Staff photo by James Sprague
It’s been roughly 20 years in the making and, come next week, the first step in a system of trails city-wide will be complete and open.
The Fayette County Foundation, along with the City of Connersville, will hold a grand opening celebration Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the trailhead of the new Nickel Plate Trail, at 32nd Street and Park Road, to mark the first step in a proposed trail system for the city.
The .75-mile trail runs up to Lick Creek from the 32nd Street and Park Road beginning, and will be paved in order to accommodate bicyclists, walkers and runners with strollers and even wheelchairs.
It’s been a project spearheaded by the Fayette County Foundation and its executive director, Anna Dungan, and began the transition from paper to reality this past spring, funded by grants from the Foundation.
To see the idea becoming reality is a source of excitement for Dungan, she said Thursday, and couldn’t have been done without the many volunteers and residents in the community who lent their efforts to make the trail happen.
From the staff at the Connersville Parks Department and the FCF’s board with their vision for an improved quality of life within the county, to the many volunteers who cleared brush and local companies who has offered their services such as Powell Paving.
“It’s very exciting,” she said. “We appreciate everybody that has believed in us and, definitely when you see the final product and it being first-class, of course you’re proud you worked with different groups to make something possible.”
There are still a few things left to tweak on the trail, according to Dungan, with the millings going down starting Thursday — which were able to be recycled from the Connersville Airport — and some final paving to be done.
“They were able to use all of that so we didn’t have an additional cost,” Dungan said. “And it’s nice to work with Powell’s Paving, a group that really has educated us a lot on what is best for a trail, rather that just doing what they wanted to do. They really did educate us along the way what is best to use.
“The final product will show the impact of doing it right,” she continued. “It really will make a difference and we appreciate working with them. It’s such a good feeling ... it’s going to work out alright. It was a little rough at the beginning and it didn’t plan out how we first thought —we wish we would have planned different marketing and approaching people a little bit differently — but it’s definitely going to tie in to the overall plan of doing something for the community.”
The Nickel Plate Trail marks the first step in several planned that will, when concluded, result in a city-wide trail system.
“It’s nice just to think we only started this project in April, and here it is finished,” Dungan said. “So we are definitely thinking we’re going to do two trails next year and beginning that circuit around the community. Definitely the trails down by the river, by the soccer complex, and then a trail going from the Pattern Mill building north. That is actually the Big Four Railroad.”
Tuesday’s grand opening is open to the entire community, Dungan added.
“Absolutely,” she said. “Everybody can come out with their bike or take a walk. There will be a brief ceremony where we have the opportunity to cut the ribbon and we’ll go right out on the trail.”
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